I didn't ask Emily to dance.

The happy couple was swaying on the dance floor to their first song, gazing into each other's eyes and all that mush that I normally thrive on. Imprint mush. But the more I thought about what Quil had told me the previous day, the more I watched.

So I didn't ask my own wife to dance right away. I watched Jacob and Leah.

How long had I been avoiding it? Fighting this realization? Clearly, I was the only one to not see the air around them. I can see it in Lee-lee's smile, the one that was usually just for me and, therefore, the smile (or any smile) the world hasn't seen it in years. The muscles under Jacob's shirt aren't tense and rigid, ready for battle or keeping the pain concealed as they had been for years. Both of them have witnessed such immense pain.

I guess the selfish part of me never expected Leah to move on, I thought to myself as I watched. I watched Black press her close to her body. I saw her shoulders inhale the scent of him as she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. I could never and will never imagine a life where Leah doesn't have some part in it. I couldn't bare it. That's why when she phased, I tried to keep her in my pack. I tried to keep her in La Push because of my own selfish need to never have to live without the women I picked; the women I loved on my own accord and made me into the man I am today.

What I didn't realize, after she learned the truth about the legends and the truth about Emily's imprint, was that she wasn't the women I had fallen in love with, but a shell of her. A shell that was mean and callous and on a war path to hurt me. But I didn't care because she was here. She was still with me.

But not anymore. Emily put her hand on my shoulder and pulled me out of my staring; a few others glanced at me too as it wasn't as stealthy as I had imagined.

The song was more upbeat and Jacob and Leah twirled around each other, off in their own little world, making everyone giggle around them at their comical dance moves.

On the other side of the La Push Community Center, which was serving as reception hall for the Paul and Rachel wedding extravaganza, I met eyes with Billy Black. His chair was stationed on the edge of the dance floor and his fingers wiggled to the music while his amused eyes cocked an eyebrow up at my gaze.

So, he was watching them too.

I stood up and told my wife that I'd be back "in a flash." She gave me that patient smile that told me she knew exactly where I was going. Billy watched with an amused smile as I walked around the edge of the dance floor, pulling a chair from the closet table and sitting down next to Billy.

"Enjoying the view?" He asked me with a condescending smirk. My blood began to boil.

"Billy," I began but he cut me off with a low chuckle as Jake spun Leah under his arms, both of them now holding bottles of beer but not letting it slow their moves. They danced in such synchronization it was like they planned this goofy routine. A laugh from Leah came in a slight pause of the song, serenading the entire room. My heart perked up at the sound. It had been so long since I had heard her laugh genuinely, not her cruel cackle that she used to hurt people.

"Do you really have the right to come ask me about what you're about to ask me about?" Billy said in a low whisper that only I could hear. This place was crawling with hearing-sensitive wolves.

"He has an imprint," I said sternly. "Speaking of who, why isn't Nessie here?" I thought for sure they would have asked my permission for Nessie to have access to the reservation to accompany Jacob to his sister's wedding, to be his plus one. He never approached me about it.

"He didn't even think to ask her to come," Billy told me, raising his eyebrows high. Jacob's beer bottled rested against her lower back as they swayed. Leah was holding hers with both hands around his neck. They looked at such ease.

"How could he not? A wedding is perfect place to bring a date."

"I don't know how my son thinks about his imprint, Sam. I do know, however, that my son is in love with Leah Clearwater. The question is, does either of them know that consciously?" Billy said.

"In-in, lov, love with….." I sputtered.

"Sam, look at them," Billy demanded gently. I wanted to tell him that's all I've been doing but I glanced back at the dancers. The song had slowed again. Not enough to slow dance but enough for Jacob and Leah to press themselves close together and talk quietly with smiles on their faces.

"I feel like neither of them have accepted it because of the imprint but it's there, Sam."

"IT CAN'T BE THERE!" I exploded, tipping my chair over as I pushed myself to stand above the chief of La Push.

It seems like the guests closest to use all turned, startled. Jacob and Leah both pulled apart, turning to stare at me with large eyes. Jacob took two steps toward his father, ready to intervene but Billy held a hand up to me, a warning.

I took a deep breath, trying to control my desire to phase. It had been years since uncontrollable rage had caused me to lose my temper. I was Alpha, after all, even though it wasn't my birthright. I had to set an example for my pack. Getting into a fight with Billy or Jacob was not a possibility.

The song was a slow one again so I set off across the dance floor toward Jacob and Leah.

"What is going on, Sam?" Jacob demanded as I approached them.

"Leah, would you like to dance?" I asked gently, extending my hand to her palm-up, a peace offering.

Her eyes widened suspiciously as Jacob asked again why I was yelling at his father but I didn't look at him, not waiving my eyes from Leah's face, who watched me like a hawk.

"Will you get me another beer, please, Jake?" Leah asked, holding her empty bottle to him. He eyed her questionably but I watched as some sort of non-verbal exchange happened between them and Jacob's shoulders lowered from the defensive.

"Sure, Lee," he told her, taking the empty bottle and giving me a hard look. "I'll be back in a few."

"What do you want, Sam?" Leah asked me although she placed her hand in mine. I stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her delicate waist and giving us a little spin.

"What, I'm not allowed to ask the Beta for a dance?" I questioned innocently. Leah's face deadpanned and I chuckled.

"What do you want, Sam?" she asked again.

"Look, since the packs split I have barely seen you," I started to say and her eyebrow quirked as she opened her mouth but I cut her off. "And before you say 'that's a good thing,' just remember that we used to be really close. I just wanted to check-in on how you're doing. We haven't talked and I just wanted to use this beautiful celebration to say 'hi'."

She didn't speak for a moment as we gently swayed. Over the top of her head, I say Emily watching us from the arms of her cousin. Seth was completely unaware that Em wasn't really paying attention but continued to talk amicably.

"I'm fine, Sam," she said simply.

"How is school going?" I asked, knowing that she had enrolled in classes at Olympic Peninsula Community College, taking classes to get a degree in nursing like her mother, Sue.

"School is good," Leah responded, eyeing me curiously.

"That's good," I said in a simple tone, turning us in a circle again. I couldn't really even bother to think about what song was playing and if it was romantic.

"Sam, what's going on?" Leah said strongly, raising an eyebrow. "I know you well enough to know that you are hiding your desire to talk about something."

This surprised me because Leah never talked about us. Any reference to our relationship before I phased was never reminiscent but more anger. Her voice didn't break nor was there anger in her eyes as she spoke of how well she knew me, which was true. There were things about me that I never talked to Emily about, even though she was my wife, because it was in relation to the man I was with Leah.

Knowing she had caught me, I simply asked "What's going on with you and Black?"

Hi friends! Long time no see! I have not written in aaaaages. I have come to the realization, that although I am on winter break from college, I have had a FF account for over like 6 years but I am very inconsistent with uploading or updating and for that, I am sorry.

I have a million ideas in my head but only rarely do I get this big burst of energy and suddenly just sit down and write another chapter or come back to my own account and look back at my own writing. I'm constantly checking Ron/Hermione, Leah/Jacob, and Peeta/Katniss stories on here but I rarely keep up with my own. New 2015 goal, I think?!

Anywho, please review this chapter! Please please please. Reading reviews is often what gives me the motivation to keep writing and I need that now; I'm in a mild rut.

How do you think Leah will respond to Sam's blunt question? ;)